1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to self-propelled wheeled devices with increased travel distance due to a hand lever arm and horizontal gear.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a number of light-weight wheeled vehicles that are currently manually self-propelled by the driver, such as wheel-chairs, or in some models are powered by small motors, such as go-carts. Other wheeled vehicles, such as children's wagons, are typically caused to move by being pulled or pushed by someone, or in the case of tricycles, are pedaled.
The copending parent application herein provides a bicycle having a pedal and leverage arm, in which bicycle the cyclist's body weight is used to a more efficient potential, because the pivot point is at the rear of the bicycle and the pedal movement is straight down and up. This bicycle includes a pedal leverage arm, and a lever arm tension spring holding the rear of the pedal leverage arm to the rear of the bicycle through a bearing as known in the art, to connect the frame to the arm and cause the pedal leverage arm and pedal to be forced upward when the pedal is in the lowermost position. A drive sprocket spindle, drive sprocket, drive gear, and vertical gear are provided on each side of the bicycle. The vertical gear is attached to the pedal leverage arm so that the vertical gear can mesh with the drive gear. A chain on each side of the bicycle extends around the drive sprocket and the wheel sprocket. The drive sprocket spindle on each side of the bicycle extends from the drive sprocket support, through the drive sprocket, through the drive gear support to the drive gear on that side of the bicycle. Downward movement of a pedal leverage arm causes the attached vertical gear to move downward, causing the meshed drive gear to turn, which causes the drive sprocket spindle on that side of the bicycle to turn, which causes the chain that goes around the drive sprocket on that side of the bicycle to turn, which causes the wheel sprocket and wheel to turn, due to permanent attachment of both the drive sprocket and drive gear to the drive sprocket spindle.
Other single-user wheeled vehicles that are self-propelled are often difficult or energy intensive to be moved from one place to another. In some cases, such as in some carts and wheel chairs, such single-user wheeled vehicles are made with added small motors to assist the driver in moving the vehicle.
It is an object of the invention to provide a means where a preferably seated driver of a wheeled vehicle can use the driver's hands, with an arrangement of a hand lever arm and one or more horizontal gears to move associated drive gears, and in some embodiments, a chain, to cause the vehicle to move forward. The hand lever arm and horizontal gear arrangement of the invention may be added to any vehicle on which the driver can be positioned, such as on a seat, and which has wheels and has, or can be provided with a central frame extending between a forward wheeled and a rearward wheel and/or wheel axle.
Other objects and features of the inventions will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.